c. 1998 Religion News Service

UNDATED _ Conservative religious groups known for their condemnation of homosexuality are adding their voices to those denouncing the brutal murder of a gay University of Wyoming student.

The killing of Matthew Shepard, who died Monday after being attacked in Laramie, Wyo., last week, comes at a time when the debate over homosexuality has again reached a boiling point. Conservative groups recently launched a new set of ads featuring “ex-gays” and the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling Tuesday (Oct. 13) that upholds a Cincinnati law denying protection to gays.

Shepard, 21, died Monday at a hospital in Fort Collins, Colo., after being tied to a wooden fence. He had been in a coma after having his skull beaten so badly doctors were unable to operate. Charges against Arthur Henderson, 21, and Aaron James McKinney, 22, were upgraded to include first-degree murder, the Associated Press reported.

Randy Tate, executive director of the Christian Coalition, was one of several officials of conservative groups to decry Shepard’s murder.”Christian Coalition and people of faith throughout the nation condemn in the strongest terms the vicious and barbaric attack on Matthew Shepard which resulted in his death,”Tate said in a statement.”There should be zero toleration in a civilized society for people who commit such acts of senseless violence. In this country all murder is a hate crime.” While denouncing Shepard’s violent murder, some conservative leaders expressed concern about gay organizations and media representatives who thought the killing might have been fueled by recent ad campaigns supporting the idea that gays can be transformed into heterosexuals.

New”Truth in Love”ads, produced by Coral Ridge Ministries of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., were released just before National Coming Out of Homosexuality Day, which was held on Sunday (Oct. 11), the same day National Coming Out Day is celebrated by gay supporters.”Just as Hillary Clinton’s `vast right-wing conspiracy’ theory regarding her husband’s dalliances were fantasy, so too is the idea that the biblical standard on homosexuality leads to murder,”said James Dobson, president of Focus on the Family.”We stand for truth in love, believing that same-sex marriage and other policies undermine the family and the fabric of our civilization,”Dobson continued in a statement issued by his organization in Colorado Springs, Colo.”Just because we oppose this agenda does not in any way mean that we oppose the people involved in homosexuality.” The Rev. Troy Perry, moderator of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, a predominantly gay denomination, however, said the anti-gay ads”give fuel to the fires of intolerance in our society.” In a later statement after Shepard’s death, he added,”We mourn his passing and decry the senseless act that claimed his young life.” James Birkitt, director of communications for the fellowship, said his denomination has prepared free liturgical resources for churches and other groups wishing to conduct memorial prayer vigils in honor of the Wyoming student. Pastors from churches of a variety of denominations _ including Southern Baptist, Episcopal, American Baptist, Unitarian and United Church of Christ _ have requested the materials.

Other groups known for their support of Christian homosexuals also denounced Shepard’s murder.

Integrity, a gay and lesbian caucus within the Episcopal Church, urged condemnation of physical and verbal violence against homosexuals.”Hatred in all forms is fundamentally opposed to the message of God’s love expressed in the Gospel,”Integrity’s national board said in a statement.”We invite all people of faith to join us in condemning this act of violence and to work to ensure that similar incidents do not occur.” Adding to the ongoing debate, the Supreme Court rejected a gay-rights group’s contention that the 1993 amendment approved by Cincinnati voters violates equal-protection rights of homosexuals.

The Associated Press reported that the Equality Foundation of Greater Cincinnati had appealed the decision saying it”will encourage targeting of gay people and other groups for unconstitutional harm.” The foundation also said the decision conflicts with the court’s 1996 ruling that struck down a similar Colorado measure.

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Officials reacting to the Shepard murder offered opposing options for dealing with similar crimes in the future.

When President Clinton offered condolences to the student’s family in a public statement on Monday, he added that Congress should pass hate crimes legislation he had advocated and which is pending before Congress. That legislation would make crimes based on disability, sex and sexual orientation federal offenses.

The Rev. Rodney Page, acting general secretary of the National Council of Churches, supported Clinton’s call for congressional action.”Acts of hate, whether based on race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, creed, or any other factor, must be rooted out of our land, and only a national law with uniform standards and enforcement can help achieve this goal,”Page said.

But Robert H. Knight, director of cultural studies at the Family Research Council, a conservative group based in Washington, said he hopes the tragedy will not increase the likelihood of such legislation.”The perpetrators of this crime should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,”said Knight.”The people of Wyoming … and every other state must have the confidence that laws against assault and murder will be strictly and fairly enforced no matter who is the victim or perpetrator.”

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